Manchester City’s Champions League campaign got off to a disappointing start with a home defeat by last season’s runners-up Juventus.
City, who have struggled to make a serious impact in the Champions League and have never won their opening home game in the group stage, looked to be on course for victory when Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini headed into his own net under pressure from Vincent Kompany.
The Italians protested furiously that Chiellini had been fouled but then produced an impressive response to come from behind and close out the win.
Paul Pogba’s superb ball allowed Mario Mandzukic to steal in behind Eliaquim Mangala for the equaliser, then Alvaro Morata pulled substitute Nicolas Otamendi – on for Kompany – out of position before curling a precise left-foot finish beyond City keeper Joe Hart for the 81st-minute winner.
Raheem Sterling had two big opportunities for City but wasted both as Manuel Pellegrini’s side find themselves on the back foot once more in the Champions League.
Once again it was a night where City, dominant domestically with five wins out of five in the Premier League, still looked like they are struggling to convince themselves they belong in the exalted company of the Champions League.
Juventus’ pedigree is clear – they reached last season’s final – but they had not won a game all season until beating City, whose cast-iron confidence in the league looks to be somewhat stripped away here and opponents like the experienced Italians are only too happy to expose those flaws in self-belief.
This even seems to extend to City’s fans, anxious throughout and streaming out in droves even before three minutes of stoppage time, clearly not convinced their team would rescue a point.
City missed striker Sergio Aguero, not fully fit after picking up an injury at Crystal Palace and restricted to a brief appearance as a substitute, and they have learned the hard way that chances do not come along as often in the Champions League as they do in the Premier League – and the price for not taking them is an expensive one.
There is still plenty of time to recover but City need to win games such as this if they are to finish top of the group and avoid the potentially hazardous last-16 draw.
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